Introduction
The issue regarding the lack of concord between the Arab and the Jewish members of the Israel population is infamously big, and the current political situation seems to aggravate the conflict to an impressive extent. Since the infamous Palestine conflict is rooted deeply in political, cultural, social, and religious misconceptions between the Jewish and the Muslim residents of the area, the advocacy of the current Israeli strategy concerning the emphasis on the Jewish policy and the introduction of democratic principles is impossible as it disregards the needs and rights of the Arab members of the society.
Analysis
Conflict: Timeline
Zionist Movement
The current conflict dates back to the late 19th century when the very concept of Zionism was created, and the Zionist movement started making its first steps. As Shapiro makes it very clear, the movement had its controversies, with a range of scholars failing to put their finger on the nature of the movement as either a political, or a cultural one. The necessity to restore social justice and give the Jewish people the territory that they could claim as their autonomy was at the very core of the movement. In the environment, where the concept of providing Jewish people with independence had always been received with hostility, the movement was the only chance at guaranteeing the specified denizens of the population with an opportunity of social justice.
Labor Party
Similarly, the role of the Labor Party is not to be underestimated in the process of fighting for the independence of the Jewish people. Particularly, the party contributed to building a strong military force that would, later on, defend the Jewish people and allow them to gain their human rights, including cultural and political ones.
Because of the aggressive politics of the Labor Party, a conflict between the Jewish and the Arabian members of the population was sparked once again.
Although the claims of the Jewish people seem valid in light of the discrimination that they had to deal with, the lack of concern for the identity of the rest of the people living in the area subverts the very foundation of the Jewish ideology regarding fighting oppression. Moreover, by attempting to foisting their cultural, political, and religious beliefs on the Muslim population, the Jewish residents of Israel undermine the foundation of democracy as it is viewed nowadays.
Present Time
Despite the aggravation of the conflict by the Jewish army, a state of a rather shaky truce was achieved in 1993 when “the Israeli and the Palestinian delegations in Oslo reached an agreement.” However, the situation remains unstable due to the current Israeli policy toward the Arabian members of the population. From the Declaration of Establishment of the State of Israel, in which solely the rights and freedoms of the Jewish people are mentioned, to the national anthem that lauds the culture of the Jewish people, the lack of equality can be seen everywhere.
Declaration
Indeed, the idea of the Jewish Israel state denies the very concept of democracy as it promotes compliance with the rights of solely the Jewish residents thereof. By claiming that the current concept of the Israeli state should be promoted and viewed as the only possible route for development, one disregards the interests and needs of a substantial part of the Israeli citizens, i.e., the Arab denizens of the population.
Apartheid and Israel
The phenomenon in question cannot be deemed as unique; quite on the contrary, history has a range of similar scenarios to offer as graphic proof of the impossibility thereof: For instance, the South African Apartheid Movement can be viewed as an example of a conflict spinning out of control due to the inconsistency in the state policy and the disregard for peoples’ irrefutable rights.
Eretz Israel
In regard to the excerpt provided above, Eretz Israel needs to be discussed as a concept. According to the existing definition, Eretz Israel is the ultimate representation of the Jewish tradition. Therefore, by foisting the concept of Eretz Israel onto the residents, the state government denies the Arabian population that the country is also represented by their inalienable rights, particularly, the right for their self-determination.
Conclusion
Creating a democratic state of Israel, where the rights of all members of the society will be acknowledged, and yet the Jewish immigration will be allowed, is impossible due to the political and cultural strain between the Jewish and the Muslim members of the population. Once the state government realizes the necessity to compromise and ceases to foist the Jewish cultural and religious values as the only ones acceptable, the premises for finding common ground and developing a mutual understanding of the problem can be created. Seeing that the Arabian population makes an impressive part of Palestine, their cultural specifics, religious beliefs, and the right for self-determination, as well as other constitutional rights, must be recognized by the state authorities. Otherwise, the provision of democracy is impossible in the setting of the state of Israel.
Bibliography
Sharipa, Anita. Israel – A History. Lebanon, NH: Brandeis University Press.